The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a novel by Mark Twain, written in the year 1884. It is a story full of excitement, adventure, and mischief. Huck is living with the Widow Douglas and her sister Miss Watson before he is kidnapped by his father, Pap Finn. Huck fakes his own death, escapes from his father to Jackson Island where he meets up with Jim, Miss Watson's slave. Jim is escaping from Miss Watson, he believes she wants to sell him down to New Orleans. Huck and Jim make their way up the Mississippi River to get to the free states. During their sail up the river Huck and Jim are faced with many minor conflicts before reaching the Phelp's farm and meeting Tom Sayer. Jim is enslaved by the Phelps; Huck and Tom try to free Jim. During their escape Tom gets shot, and Jim doesn't leave until a doctor looks at him. Jim, Tom, and the doctor get back to the Phelp's farm the next day. The Phelp's arrest Jim for escaping, but Tom tells them that they can't arrest him because his owner, Miss Watson, died and she freed him in her will.
The major conflict of the book is Huck and Jim escaping Miss Watson and Pap Finn. The simple escape to Jackson Island turned into an adventure up the Mississippi. The two of them encountered many challenges such as: thieves on a sinking ship, fog, a couple of con men, and Jim's enslavement. They make it through all of these obstacles and eventually get what they both want freedom. Jim is finally free from slavery, and Huck is finally free from his lies and his father.
America during this time period is rascist. There are many points during the book when Huck reflects on why he is helping to free a slave. Huck relates his helping Jim to be good or bad, going to Heaven or Hell, obeying the rules of society and breaking the law. Huck always refers back to his feelings. He realizes that he is not helping a slave escape, but helping a true friend. Huck's logic of thinking is very child-like; Jim is not a piece of property or a man of unequality, but a friend.
America at this time used rivers as a large source of transportation. The Mississippi river runs into many other rivers in the U.S.. Sailing or taking a steamboat up down the river was one of the most efficient ways to travel. Huck and Jim use the river for most of their transportation stopping occasionally at towns to stock up on supplies. They were going to sail their raft and canoe up the river to Cairo, Illinois to buy a steamboat to take up to the free states. Unfortunately, they passes Cairo during the fog one night.
Fishing, hunting and salvaging was an effective way of living during this time period. Huck was living with his father, they would hunt and fish for food and if they saw anything floating down the river they would take it back into town to sell for money. Huck and Jim lived the same way on Jackson Island and on the river. They would hunt and fish, with Huck dressing up as a girl to go to towns to get any information and supplies that they need.
During the time of Mark Twain, when he wrote this book, life was more adventurous than it is now. If kids wanted to have fun they would find other kids to play with. If your Tom Sayer you try to reinact what you read in books for fun. Roads and cities weren't as abundant as they are now. Kids could go in the woods and have mini adventures with friends and enjoy living life. Children's education wasn't as strict as it is now. Then if you didn't go to school no one cared; school was like a luxury. Good hygene was scene to some as a luxury. It was a more simple and primitive time.
Setting
In all stories, the setting is important. However, in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn the setting is more than important, it is essential. The setting in Huck Finn affects the attitudes of the people, the story's mood, and locates it in time and place.
This story is set prior to the Civil War on and in the surrounding towns of the Mississippi River. It starts out in the town of St. Petersburg, Missouri. As the story progresses, Huck decides to run away from St. Petersburg. When he does, he meets up with a run-away slave from the same town named Jim. Together, they make their way south on the Mississippi River on a raft. Eventually, they make it all the way down into Louisiana. Along the way, they stop at some of the towns along the river. They also meet two cons who come to be known as the Duke and the King. These two con people of their money by performing Shakespearian plays under the false identity of professional actors. Eventually they are caught and tared and feathered, after this happens, Jim and Huck continue on their own.
The setting also affects the attitude of the characters in the story. Seeing as it takes place in the South prior to the Civil War, there is a lot of racism. Not only are the black people discriminated against, but they are also enslaved. The white people also think that the blacks are inferior. At one point Jim is upset because he thinks that he is never going to be able to see his family again; Huck made the comment that "Jim must be white on the inside." By this, Huck was implying that the black people are not capable of love. So since Jim was acting in a loving fashion, Huck thought that he was only black on the outside.
One last thing affected by the setting in this story is its mood. At the beginning, when Huck is still living with the widow, he is very sad and uncomfortable. Later on when he is being held prisoner by his father, Huck is quite scared. Then once he and Jim escape and are traveling down the river together, they are much more comfortable and calm. At one point there is a storm that causes the party to seek shelter. They are very afraid, not only for their raft, but also for their lives. When Jim is captured by the Phelps' he is very scared that they will sell him back into slavery, but luckily, they do not and eventually release him.
All in all, the setting has got to be the single most influential aspect of this story. It is constantly changing and in so doing, changing the storyline, the attitudes of the characters, and also their moods.
The major conflict of the book is Huck and Jim escaping Miss Watson and Pap Finn. The simple escape to Jackson Island turned into an adventure up the Mississippi. The two of them encountered many challenges such as: thieves on a sinking ship, fog, a couple of con men, and Jim's enslavement. They make it through all of these obstacles and eventually get what they both want freedom. Jim is finally free from slavery, and Huck is finally free from his lies and his father.
America during this time period is rascist. There are many points during the book when Huck reflects on why he is helping to free a slave. Huck relates his helping Jim to be good or bad, going to Heaven or Hell, obeying the rules of society and breaking the law. Huck always refers back to his feelings. He realizes that he is not helping a slave escape, but helping a true friend. Huck's logic of thinking is very child-like; Jim is not a piece of property or a man of unequality, but a friend.
America at this time used rivers as a large source of transportation. The Mississippi river runs into many other rivers in the U.S.. Sailing or taking a steamboat up down the river was one of the most efficient ways to travel. Huck and Jim use the river for most of their transportation stopping occasionally at towns to stock up on supplies. They were going to sail their raft and canoe up the river to Cairo, Illinois to buy a steamboat to take up to the free states. Unfortunately, they passes Cairo during the fog one night.
Fishing, hunting and salvaging was an effective way of living during this time period. Huck was living with his father, they would hunt and fish for food and if they saw anything floating down the river they would take it back into town to sell for money. Huck and Jim lived the same way on Jackson Island and on the river. They would hunt and fish, with Huck dressing up as a girl to go to towns to get any information and supplies that they need.
During the time of Mark Twain, when he wrote this book, life was more adventurous than it is now. If kids wanted to have fun they would find other kids to play with. If your Tom Sayer you try to reinact what you read in books for fun. Roads and cities weren't as abundant as they are now. Kids could go in the woods and have mini adventures with friends and enjoy living life. Children's education wasn't as strict as it is now. Then if you didn't go to school no one cared; school was like a luxury. Good hygene was scene to some as a luxury. It was a more simple and primitive time.
Setting
In all stories, the setting is important. However, in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn the setting is more than important, it is essential. The setting in Huck Finn affects the attitudes of the people, the story's mood, and locates it in time and place.
This story is set prior to the Civil War on and in the surrounding towns of the Mississippi River. It starts out in the town of St. Petersburg, Missouri. As the story progresses, Huck decides to run away from St. Petersburg. When he does, he meets up with a run-away slave from the same town named Jim. Together, they make their way south on the Mississippi River on a raft. Eventually, they make it all the way down into Louisiana. Along the way, they stop at some of the towns along the river. They also meet two cons who come to be known as the Duke and the King. These two con people of their money by performing Shakespearian plays under the false identity of professional actors. Eventually they are caught and tared and feathered, after this happens, Jim and Huck continue on their own.
The setting also affects the attitude of the characters in the story. Seeing as it takes place in the South prior to the Civil War, there is a lot of racism. Not only are the black people discriminated against, but they are also enslaved. The white people also think that the blacks are inferior. At one point Jim is upset because he thinks that he is never going to be able to see his family again; Huck made the comment that "Jim must be white on the inside." By this, Huck was implying that the black people are not capable of love. So since Jim was acting in a loving fashion, Huck thought that he was only black on the outside.
One last thing affected by the setting in this story is its mood. At the beginning, when Huck is still living with the widow, he is very sad and uncomfortable. Later on when he is being held prisoner by his father, Huck is quite scared. Then once he and Jim escape and are traveling down the river together, they are much more comfortable and calm. At one point there is a storm that causes the party to seek shelter. They are very afraid, not only for their raft, but also for their lives. When Jim is captured by the Phelps' he is very scared that they will sell him back into slavery, but luckily, they do not and eventually release him.
All in all, the setting has got to be the single most influential aspect of this story. It is constantly changing and in so doing, changing the storyline, the attitudes of the characters, and also their moods.
Character Analysis
Josh G